Hats off to Emily! Milliner asked to create headwear for King's shop

A HAT called the Highgrove Visor, inspired by the “timeless silhouette of the bonnet’, has gone on sale at the King’s country estate.

- LauraELSTON

Award-winning milliner Emily Hurst from Bristol - one of the first graduates of the Chanel and The King’s Foundation’s millinery fellowship - was specially commissioned to produce her chic straw headwear for the Highgrove Shop.

The 15 limited edition pieces - edged in a dark green known as Highgrove Green - were made using the endangered traditional craft of straw plaiting.

The handmade visor, priced at £475, has the curved shape of a regency bonnet with a large dark green silky bow at the back.

Ms Hurst, who is also a graduate in costume design and construction, revealed how the visor took its inspiration from an 1820s-style bonnet she made on a university placement with film and theatre milliner Lauren Martin, known as the “vintage milliner”.

“I created a bonnet inspired by the silhouette and styling of the 1820s. The elegance and structure ofthe hats in this period completely captivated me, and still does to this day,’ she said.

She added: “Those early bonnets were especially important to me and remain some of my favourite creations.

Ms Hurst said the ideas were later reflected in her final collection for the Chanel and King’s Foundation fellowship, and led to the creation of the Highgrove Visor.